[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6293304,"mediaKeyId","2523616-d8cf4d2cef610a0e4f201e1d091a93b4","parentId",2523616,"title","Will County Health Department rolls out harm-reduction kits for pregnant people after state review links substance use to maternal deaths","audioSeconds",271,"startMs",5269000,"endMs",5540000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523616-d8cf4d2cef610a0e4f201e1d091a93b4&start=5269&end=5540","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523616-d8cf4d2cef610a0e4f201e1d091a93b4/thumbnail_5269000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6293304/Will-County/Illinois/Will-County-Health-Department-rolls-out-harm-reduction-kits-for-pregnant-people-after-state-review-links-substance-use-to-maternal-deaths","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293304-5186af9a808983452f17b09cad0488ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1773232972&Signature=WfKPNaLT1c7bKXg-l8JLpOcErP~Wrqc8j9YptaC~vraMWK2IcmQ~54KbaeG2RFVKS9cN8Csw~OLXwfcYet4oqeQ4xxR3X4kbvNw-YGgpqG7yjtsLWG~S6z62cHykwUW-ToIJgXww~Ty0rUuvTwpKUk~e~kI2mR3KufTIL5SDzYbVfqRXd1EFktF4DwIGeztSTDT1AXImc43VKLBXfUki0AsQLBhh7-V8726lCt0oDS2fxaw5CpkP8t6UF3~IxBm2tcieP2y-J0rPs6J1I~8IIiqAFZvDn~RK5uPVgCx8dShcDe2oHQueBKWYBp88Nf2DLxVl9JbnQguSgBggkkC8uQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Will County, IL","date","2025-03-06T21:30:36Z","article","Sylvia Muniz, director of Family Health Services for the Will County Health Department, described a new harm‑reduction outreach program focused on pregnant and postpartum people who use substances. The program grew from a 2023 Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) maternal mortality and morbidity report that identified substance use as the leading cause of maternal deaths during 2018–2020.

Muniz said the department received grant funding to assemble and distribute 300 kits that include Narcan, fentanyl test strips, condoms and lubricants, personal‑care items and printed education and referral resources. The kits are intended to reach pregnant people who may avoid prenatal care because they fear child‑welfare involvement, and to provide immediate access to overdose prevention tools and information about local supports.

Why it matters: IDPH data show substance use is a major contributor to maternal mortality; outreach that reduces overdose risk and connects people to resources can affect maternal and infant outcomes.

Muniz described partner organizations involved with the project, including the countys community health center, WIC, doulas from partner agencies and local counseling providers. She said the health department recently started a peer‑support program and intends to explore ways peers could help reach this population in hospital settings, although peer access inside hospitals is not yet implemented.

Committee members asked operational questions. A member asked whether Narcan in the kits is safe for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding; Muniz replied that Narcan has been used in delivery‑room situations and that the kits are intended for overdose reversal, not routine use. Muniz said Narcan supplied via the distributor carries a practical shelf life of about three years if stored properly.

Members recommended expanding doula and peer supports; Muniz and other staff said doulas and peer support are among the next priorities for program expansion and hospital outreach. The health department also announced other ongoing work, including an integrated referral system (IRIS) five‑year milestone, and a MAP fall forum scheduled for April 25.

Ending: the Health Department will distribute the kits through partner programs and pursue peer and doula integration to improve access for pregnant and postpartum people who use substances. Staff asked committee members to share contacts and participate in forthcoming planning.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Will County Public Health & Public Safety Committee Meeting March 6, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Health Department staff described a new outreach effort offering 300 harm-reduction kits for pregnant and postpartum people: kits include Narcan, fentanyl test strips, condoms, personal-care items and resource information. The program aims to reach people who avoid prenatal care because of fear of child‑welfare reporting.","taxTitle","Will County, Illinois","taxId",2549,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6293309,"Will County committee delays vote on Joliet Township transportation agreement tied to deflection grant",1290,3900000,5190000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523616-d8cf4d2cef610a0e4f201e1d091a93b4&start=3900&end=5190","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523616-d8cf4d2cef610a0e4f201e1d091a93b4/thumbnail_3900000.jpg","/articles/6293309/Will-County/Illinois/Will-County-committee-delays-vote-on-Joliet-Township-transportation-agreement-tied-to-deflection-grant","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293309-bf9a49e5190fd1b9fec6c6fcc9a4a36f/orig.mp4?Expires=1773232972&Signature=mKbYoVa~rhUxZzqBwO0ZhQRXYqBtQ1kmVN5jvW-SkLQ~4lf3cvnLCHyKx4MOAY7a3uLOx7BjzzdoucJL3SDOfBf-csnH3HGUmTWMJDeMew80tSxAA2RdSXPQtUtkneE48op8Lpw~iMiuczkd9MdcRZ3XpPpNlkdnfj7dIb94NDABVyBOm3bCA86sT2oz8GxRoCx3zZ3L6lYoWZYUlaYlsEgl8~7qbGpCrlYE~ukATPi7smu6hvqeHzCjm-At4y2BPyFOcSVrugGYo1AOlnYM~NLhlKHmXEkX26HCtY3gYs~5vjJhcfwLGwA7lu4kdtxpU8I7Lj8H53SSpCr4PC7oiw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Will County Public Health & Safety Committee postponed consideration of an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Joliet Township that would reimburse township vehicle services under a county deflection grant.

Committee members raised legal and policy questions about the draft language, including how the agreement describes the populations to be served and provisions on indemnity and attorney fees. County legal counsel said the draft is legally sufficient but that some policy and contractual terms are typical negotiation points for intergovernmental agreements.

Why it matters: the IGA would allow the sheriffs office to use grant funds to pay Joliet Township to transport participants in the sheriffs deflection program (for example, rides to job interviews or counseling). Committee members said clear language tying the service to the deflection grant and to Joliet Townships role as a transport vendor should be included; some members also urged separating the resolution from the full contract for clarity.

What happened in the meeting: a member moved to postpone further action to allow review and possible redrafting. The roll-call vote on postponement recorded Freeman voting no; Julie Berkowitz yes; Dean Schlappman yes; Hickey no; and Chair Butler yes. The motion carried and the item will return for reconsideration.

Discussion highlights: Julie Berkowitz said the resolution text did not clearly reflect the grants targeted purpose and the intended client population; other members asked whether Joliet Township had already approved the agreement and queried how grant funds would be disbursed. Deputy Chief Dan Jungels and county counsel explained that the deflection grant is administered by the sheriffs office and that Joliet Township would be paid on a reimbursement or invoicing basis for transport services. The countys states attorney said the IGA uses standard intergovernmental cooperation authority and that contractual indemnity and fee clauses are normal negotiable elements in an IGA.

Next steps: committee members asked the sheriffs office and legal counsel to confer with Joliet Township, correct scriveners errors and return with a revised resolution and, if appropriate, a separate IGA for final action. One committee member noted the deflection grant is time-limited and asked staff about any operational delay; Jungels said a postponement of at least a month was likely.

Ending: the committee voted to postpone so members could review the agreement language and receive clarifying information about the grant, scope and indemnity provisions before final approval.","Committee members questioned language and contractual indemnity in a draft intergovernmental agreement that would reimburse Joliet Township for transport services under a deflection grant. A motion to postpone the item passed on a roll-call vote.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6293314,"Will County sheriff—s office reports lower daily jail population, higher arrests and large drug seizures in 2024",3757,223000,3980000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2523616-d8cf4d2cef610a0e4f201e1d091a93b4&start=223&end=3980","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2523616-d8cf4d2cef610a0e4f201e1d091a93b4/thumbnail_223000.jpg","/articles/6293314/Will-County/Illinois/Will-County-sheriffs-office-reports-lower-daily-jail-population-higher-arrests-and-large-drug-seizures-in-2024","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6293314-ffa4d57f4d580300489391c81081d4bc/orig.mp4?Expires=1773232972&Signature=lT7oFwbrzR3EN0HD36pXz3uboAEmMDzsfM-eX5bRWFITioCu5YCQevvRgV-MCe522nKf-6-bWXODqayVeIkr5ICrgbs6knXmTH1EpnfNwF8jUYk9T2ovyX9udEim6e7twvh8XOr9PnKTHznQjV1O8LJF44vG1thXsowIyT6O69arDJt0scz1NHJeR3MNO1bKcpHyqGm8Nmm0Ql7C8NZoW7RgJAxkL5oKWihox8KtoRTt5qQ9LMsJy8VtT8N8EKpar1mYcDE~fe5zyxnbYmDxUvzuC0fm016yi3F2FMdQyaXSDv-LLazJAgGbyiCAVoHUEmqole5kuHP~jcn1Uv4uoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Deputy Chief Dan Jungels of the Will County Sheriffs Office presented the departments 2024 statistics to the Will County Public Health & Safety Committee, reporting an average daily adult detention population of just over 465 inmates and saying that figure is roughly 45 inmates lower than before the SAFETY Act.

The presentation covered intake and release volumes, daily population highs and lows, crime categories, traffic enforcement, canine and interdiction operations, fugitive apprehensions, criminal investigations workload, and evidence-handling burdens. Jungels said the office processed just north of 5,900 intakes in 2024 and released about 5,900 people, a net increase of 36 intakes over releases. He gave a maximum jail population of 526 and a minimum of 421 for the year.

Why it matters: the statistics reflect how changes in state law and enforcement practice are reshaping jail occupancy, deputies workloads and evidence-processing needs, and they document large drug and currency seizures that county and federal partners are relying on for prosecutions.

Jungels summarized crime trends for unincorporated Will County: overall crime declined about 3.93% year‑over‑year, crimes against persons rose 1.8% (with homicides in the unincorporated county increasing from two to four), crimes against property fell 7.5%, and crimes against society fell 13.73%. He cautioned that percentage changes can be misleading for small absolute counts and said some FBI crime categories do not match Illinois statutory phrasing.

Traffic and overweight-truck enforcement drew attention: Jungels said overweight-truck fines totaled just north of $519,000 in 2024 and the traffic unit issued roughly 3,000 citations. He told committee members the sheriffs office has added full‑time personnel devoted to overweight enforcement and expects the revenue figure to rise in 2025.

On interdiction and narcotics work, Jungels said the sheriffs dogs and task forces located significant quantities: the K‑9 teams and interdiction partners recovered more than $410,000 in currency in some operations and the federal task forces reported multimillion-dollar cash seizures. He noted large fentanyl seizures and told the committee that, in previous years, he calculated seized amounts could translate to staggeringly high numbers of potential overdoses.

Jungels said the countys criminal investigations unit saw a jump in assignments: detectives were assigned 1,788 cases in 2024 versus 542 the year before, and closure rates for homicide investigations have improved in recent years, which he attributed in part to technology such as license‑plate readers and phone and video forensics.

Committee members asked several operational questions. Julie Berkowitz asked about recidivism and crime-type breakdowns; Jungels said the jail maintains arrest charges but the presentation did not include a recidivism rate. Committee members asked how lower daily population affected overtime and staffing; Jungels said forced overtime has declined because fewer beds are filled and more staff are working voluntary overtime instead of being mandated to stay over long shifts.

Members and Jungels discussed legislative impacts. Jungels described both benefits and consequences of the SAFETY Act and other pending laws, and he and committee members referenced bills the Illinois Sheriffs Association is monitoring. He also described Karinas Act (a measure that can permit judges to attach a search warrant to some orders of protection so weapons can be removed) and warned that implementation may require additional planning and personnel because search warrants carry elevated risk for officers.

Jungels described the countys evidence and body‑camera workload: the office has multiple staff who redact body‑worn camera footage and spent tens of thousands of minutes redacting hundreds of videos in 2024, which he said imposes a significant time and cost burden, and he noted FOIA timelines constrain how quickly redactions must be completed.

He reviewed social-service efforts tied to substance-use deflection work: the sheriffs social-service unit followed up with 109 individuals under a new deflection grant started Aug. 1, 2024, and provided referrals and small supports such as clothing and transportation assistance. The office also has a new peer‑to‑peer program for officer mental health pending state training approval.

The presentation included SWAT activation, fugitive‑apprehension and extradition work (the department logged more than 11,000 air miles to retrieve 30 individuals with outstanding warrants), and the role of federal partners such as the U.S. Marshals Service and DEA in large investigations.

Committee members thanked Jungels and asked for copies of the FBI submission and the full report; Jungels said he could provide the document submitted to the FBI and that the department is pursuing automated analytics to reduce manual data crunching.

Ending: Jungels said he would forward the detailed report and legislative items the committee asked to consider for the countys legislative agenda.","Deputy Chief Dan Jungels told the Will County Public Health & Safety Committee that average daily jail population fell by about 45 inmates since the SAFETY Act, intake and releases were roughly equal in 2024, crime overall dipped, traffic enforcement and interdiction produced large seizures, and detectives reported sharply higher case loads.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Will County Health Department rolls out harm-reduction kits for pregnant people after state review links substance use to maternal deaths

Will County committee delays vote on Joliet Township transportation agreement tied to deflection grant

Will County sheriff—s office reports lower daily jail population, higher arrests and large drug seizures in 2024